


soft

by antenism



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Catharsis, M/M, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:42:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24283027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antenism/pseuds/antenism
Summary: Was he not doing a good job? Was Aira uncomfortable? Did he cut a little too close to his scalp? Hiiro worried about all these things.
Relationships: Amagi Hiiro/Shiratori Aira
Kudos: 70





	soft

**Author's Note:**

> Alternatively, this fic would go  
> Hiiro: What you want?  
> Aira: Gimme that 6th Year Draco Malfoy look.  
> Hiiro: Say no more.

Hiiro gulped. “I haven’t done this before.”

He stared at the pair of scissors in his hand. Aira had handed it to him so he could make short work of his blonde hair.

“Neither had I, until you let me cut yours, Hiiro-kun.” 

♤

Hiiro remembered how he’d asked Aira to cut his hair for him. Scissors in hand, he’d feared accidentally cutting off too much of his own hair and leaving a bald spot. He has never cut his own hair. He’d let Nii-san do it for him whenever he deemed he needed a trim. But Nii-san wasn’t there, and Aira had been more than willing to fulfill his request.

Aira had obliged, and, true to form, delivered. He’d released a breath he hadn’t known he was holding in when he’d heard that first satisfying _snip_. Every lock, every strand sheared away had left him feeling so light, as if his hair had been the chains that bound him to his past with the Amagi clan.

Aira had tapped him, almost caressed him, lightly on the cheek with his hand, murmuring “Don’t fall asleep, Hiiro-kun.” Hiiro hadn’t even noticed that he was starting to nod off to sleep, just sitting in a chair surrounded by enough hair on the floor to make a wig out of.

“Sorry,” he’d replied. Hiiro had immediately straightened up and thanked god that most of his ears were still covered by his hair. He’d figured they were red from embarrassment.

Aira was meticulous, taking his time combing, then snipping a little here, combing, then snipping a little there. Not a word had been exchanged between them when Aira got busy shortening Hiiro’s hair.

And when Aira had finished, Hiiro was met by the stare of the boy that he was one year ago in the mirror before them. He mouthed a _wow_ as he turned his head from side to side to look at Aira’s work. Hiiro had failed to realize that Aira had always retained a vivid image of the Hiiro he knew in his mind, and always longed to see that Hiiro again. 

But since Rinne... since Rinne... Hiiro will never be the same. Aira knows that.

What Hiiro had realized back then was that he had done a great job. An _amazing_ job. How would he fare in comparison?

Hiiro pursed his lips. “It might take too long. We’ve only got an hour until we go to the stage.”

“Hiiro-kun, it’s fine. It’s just a trim, and I’ll tell you where to cut,” Aira assured him. “I trust you.”

Aira had already seated himself before a mirror in his room. He’d donned on a hair cutting cape he’d asked Anzu to get for him earlier, and waited for him.

Hiiro gave in.

He stood behind Aira, and then waited for directions. He hoped his hands weren’t shaking.

Aira asked him to tuck his hair behind his ears before parting it to the left. Hiiro was quick to follow these instructions as he talked him through using the clips to section off his hair to make it easier on Hiiro. A comb and a spray bottle with water in it rested on a table next to them for Hiiro’s use.

When Aira had instructed him to finally cut off an inch, Hiiro did his best to push his nervousness aside.

_Snip._

Hiiro watched the clippings fall onto Aira’s shoulder and slide off the cape at the slightest movement. He tried to remember how Aira cut his hair last time as reference as he tried to follow Aira’s instructions. He kept going.

_Snip._

_Snip._

_Snip._

He held the small tufts of soft blonde hair between his index and middle fingers, and felt the cold blunt edge of the scissors against his skin as he worked.

Aira was silent. Hiiro had already been given a flurry of instructions he was dutifully following, so Aira was probably going over their plans for tonight as he waited for Hiiro to finish.

But when he glanced over to the mirror, he saw Aira’s eyes trained on him.

Hiiro’s chest tightened. He focused his gaze back onto the back of Aira’s head, resuming his work.

Was he not doing a good job? Was Aira uncomfortable? Did he cut a little too close to his scalp? He worried about all these things.

Hiiro’s faced many dangerous opponents. But none of them had made his hands tremble as much as Aira’s stare did. He willed his hands not to stop. He had to be careful.

He was starting to see the hairstyle Aira wanted to sport the closer he was to finishing. Shorter on the sides, longer on the top. He liked how it looked on him.

Aira sighed contentedly when Hiiro was done. Hiiro was just combing Aira’s hair and brushing off stray hair clippings.

Upon carrying out the last of Aira’s instructions, he looked at him in the mirror. Hiiro had been admiring his work, smiling as Aira turned his head to one side and then the other.

“You did a good job, Hiiro-kun. Thank you,” he said. He removed the hair cutting cape and brushed himself off before facing him. He was greeted with Hiiro’s smile and sparkling blue eyes, and he countered them with a small smile of his own.

“You’re welcome, Aira!” Hiiro said. He watched Aira comb his hair back with his fingers as he walked past Hiiro to retrieve his suit jacket atop the bed. It was almost time to leave for live.

“It looks good on you,” Hiiro remarked, following Aira out of the room.

Aira met his gaze and flashed him a smile. “Thanks.”

Hiiro’s cheeks felt hot. He was starting to worry a little too much about the meaning Aira might have assigned to his comment. But maybe he was just thinking too much about it.

Mayoi Ayase was waiting for them outside the room.

“What took you guys so long?” he asked them.

Hiiro didn’t stop walking. He looked like a man on a mission, and Aira wondered if that haircut had given him a confidence boost. Seeing Hiiro so sure of himself served to boost Aira’s morale, as he felt more motivated to win his friends back. He felt lucky to have a guy like Hiiro by his side.


End file.
